Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-02-12
4 run hTORY.
BY BIDDY.

NY BIDDY.
New tubs, IL Il? Well, MIR. Carpenter. n,
doubt they'll be dale mater than the oulc
ones, but they'll never he the same 10 me.
Am I attached TO tho ould tubs? WHY
sure, Il you'll believe it, I've the best reason,
| for bein' attached 10 them, for they saved my
| loife, indeed they did, a. I'm living sinner
Master and Missus, a. you must know, are
| well-off people, with lashings Of silver and
| tho loike OF that, and at the tune I'm spsk inp
| Of they kept them same In the house.
They had no more fear OF being robbed
| than 1 have ut this minute and they jus,
turned bit OF q pantry key on them at night,
and thought of no danger at all, at all,
And no more did l. until the day came
whin there Was Q grand party at my missus
daughters, and she and he went of to 1t to.
gether.
ave mightn't be home tonight, Biddy,"
says she "but you'd not feel afraid of stay.
ing alone In the house with NoraT'
"And why should l, ms'am p says l..
Lord help us, how little we know of what's
comm! "wby should /, ma am ?" says L,
"There's no ghost In II, I'm sartin."
And of they went together, him and her,
and Master Alfred and about o'clock Nora
and me fastened the doors and went to bed,
Now I've corn that hurts me wonderfully
because IFS on the joint Of my big toe, and
nothing aises Il but soaking 1t in soda water.
So, after I had been In bed an hour or
more that corn began 70 burn and smart to
that degrsy was wild, and 1 thought to
myself I'd go down into the kitchen, and
soak my feet well, and pray the saints to
better 1t.
SO, not to wake Nora, I;slipped out a. soft
a. silk, and down the stairs aud never light
ing light, for 1t was a. bright As day with
the moon.
l Just 10. the water in the tubs, and step.
ping on a chair, sat on the wan OF 'em wild
me feet In the other, and let the warm water
run and was getting dale Of comfort when
all in sudden, heard noise that made the
blood In me veins run cowld.
1t WAS steps and the jinglng of silver In the
dining room, and somebody coming through
the PASS ge.w way to the kitchen.
Im little woman, by the grace of heaven,
and can slip in almost anywhere, and 1t
came into me mind that thin was the time
to slip, and down l went into the tub, letting
the cover down over me, with jus: my finger
In the crack TO get peep, and sure II didn't
see enough to satisfy me.
Two men-bad luck to them wild Grape
over their faces and pistols In their hands.
"T told you there was no one here Jim,n
says one.
And I knew his voice, aud the hands OF
him, with q crooked finger on one-a man
that had been pretending to want work OF
the master.
al heard something" says he sand I'll
look about ma"
Then he poked around, reerius over aud
into everything.
"The family Is out" says he, "but that
divil Of q Bridget nigh. be here, OF the other
girl, Nora"
"rhey're safe asleep up stairs" says the
first.
"Tney'd better stay there" says the other,
"for I'd think nothing of silencing the two
This Is good haul, Jscx--solId stuff"
"Id ~ soon put bullet through
screechin' woman as not" said the other.
" See here-here's pocketbook.
1t was mine, with jtst ten shillings In 1t,
but didn't mind me money at the minute.
They took 1t out and counted it aud divided
II, and they seemed in no hurry to 20, the
villains.
"The silver is in the bags" heard them
"Maybe there's clothes in the tub" says
the one and he lifted the lid OF the one next
Ny heart gave grea, Hop, and gave my.
"You'd be an idiot to take wet clothes
along with you," said the other.
Here, while we're waiting for the chance
to 60, let's have bite. Here's good ley OF
mutton and some bread"
The impudence OF the thaves
But sure the next minute I'd just lifted me
head to pape again, when crack came the lid
on the tubs. taking their supper.
was nearly dead with the blow, and I'd
have smothered but for hole in the lid that
was there, glory to heaven
And lay still, doubled up like frog, and
heard them chew.
And whittier 1t was the fright or the close
ness, don't know, but tainted away dead
that minute.
Whin It was daylight Nora walked and
missed me, aud dressed and came down.
The minute sue saw what had happened,
che rushed out 70 the street shrieking for
help, and In came the police and neighbors,
and sure they said was in the robbery, and
had left the thavos In, and mo lying un.
knownst tn the tub useless
They sent Nora for master and missus, and
nobody had the sense to look for me until
missus, heaven bless her, says, says she
"l'd trust Biddy with untould gold.
through"
And then she turned so faint that master
run to the tub for water aud lifting tho lid
sure there was I, with broken head aud no
knowledge in It.
And the wonder Is didn't get carried to
the dead house and identified tor somebody
else, the way 1t happened with my cousin
Samuel that came back from bit OF journey
TO find them waking" him, being took for
his own ghost
They took me out, and sure getting me
straight was Q hard job, Nora said, I'd been
doubled up that long, but came to at last
and 1t was owing to my ssein theH, and be-
ing able to swear who wan of thin WAS, that
master and missus got back the silver, and
the thaves were sent to gaol.
81 wish you'd poked your ugly head out
OF that tub, Miss Bridget" says one OF them
In the court
But bless the tubs, l don't," says I,
"and here ann to corfound ye."
Yes, Mr.. Carpenter now you've got the
whole story, and make the new tubs, II you
like but give me bit OF the ould ones to
reminder them bv. sy We plaze.